Scanning laser ophthalmoscope macular perimetry for the evaluation of submacular surgery

Purpose Submacular surgery is under investigation for the treatment of subfoveal choroidat neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (OHS) and other etiologies The aim of this study was to find out to what degree the macular area from which CNV was removed remained functional, and to find if there was any difference between eyes with different disease conditions or between eyes of younger and older patients Methods Our study included 19 patients, 7 with AMD and 12 with OHS, myopic or idiopathic CNV All tests were performed at least 6 months postoperatively (median 14 7 months, range 6 to 38 months). All patients underwent scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) macular perimetry for dense and relative scotomas and fixation site Results. The median postoperative visual acuity was 20/125 (range 20/25 to 20/1280) Nine patients, one with AMD, and 8 with either myopia, OHS or idiopathic causes fixated wiihin an area that ophthalmoscopicaliy and angiographically looked like an area of RPH disturbance from surgical removal Of the 8 patients younger than 50 years of age, 7 (87 5%) fixated within the area of RPE disturbance, whereas only 2 (18%) of 11 patients older than 50 years of age fixated within this area Conclusions Our data suggest that in relatively young patients undergoing submacular surgery, the surgically disturbed area can remain functional postoperatively The potential of maintaining function within the surgically disturbed area mav be associated, in part, with the patient's age.